Mother of 2 young kids wants arm lift. Is it this a recommended procedure with toddler at home during recovery process? (photo)

I am a 32 year old stay at home mom of two young kids (1 and 3). I have lost nearly 100 pounds and am in need of multiple surgeries and would like to start with the arm lift. Is it reasonable to have young children to take care of during the recovery? How long until I can hold an infant? Until I can lift my 1 yr old onto her crib? I am just wondering if it will be possible to even have this surgery when my kids are young. I'm anxious to start my transformation after my weight loss. Thanks for your replies

Doctor Answers (7)

Armlift arm reduction brachioplasty arm liposuction arm lift

January 22nd, 2015

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Hello Mkn5239, thank you
for your question. In my professional opinion, yes, of course you can have the
surgery, but you will need some assistance at first. Since your 1-year old will need to be taken
care of, someone will have to assist you for your first 10-14 days. After that,
you may be sore, but you should be able to lift your child. It will be
essential during your recovery that you wear your compression garments to help
with swelling because of your active life style.

Arm Lift, Weight Loss, Children

September 2nd, 2014

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If you have enough helping hands around for the first 2-3 weeks of recovery then you should start now! There's nothing better than getting your dream body back after significant weight loss! If you won't be able to have someone helping you out with the kids for 2-3 weeks then I would wait a couple more years until your children are slightly older and don't need to be lifted as often, maybe in that time you could work on a little bit more weight loss (if there's any left to lose). Good luck and congrats!

Recovery After Arm Lift

August 14th, 2014

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Congratulations on your weight loss. That is very impressive. An arm lift does not involve any cutting of the muscles, tendons, or supporting structures of the arm. It does however involve removing skin and fat. The skin will be a bit tighter than it is now and the incision will cross into the armpit making our motion a bit uncomfortable.

I typically advise my patients to limit activity for at least 2 weeks. It is possible you will be able to lift your children after one week but I would plan on having help available for 2 weeks. You will also need pain medication for the first several days and you would not want to try to lift them while on medication.

When you go for your consultation, your plastic surgeon can give you a better idea of how long his/her patients take to recover. Best of luck to you.

Arm Lift Pictures

Arm lift and caring for a one-year-old

August 13th, 2014

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Thank you for the picture. When you can start it based on your families needs depends on your family support. If you have tremendous family support and you are reasonable to know that you can start sooner rather than later. If you have modest to minimal family support and I would not recommend this until your children or family are a little older.

Brachioplasty

August 13th, 2014

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Thanks for your question. First, I would like to congratulate you on your weight loss! If you are considering a brachioplasty, I would advise you to arrange for some help in the home for the first 2-3 weeks as it will be extremely difficult to take care of yourself and young children. Good luck to you.

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you
have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute
or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.